Operation: SECRETSANTA - Revisited
by Marty522
Summary: When Numbuh 1 invites Numbuh 362 to join Sector V's usual Christmas gift exchange, they decide to switch things up with an interesting little game called Secret Santa. Meanwhile, the school decides to host a Christmas play this year. What shenanigans await?
1. Tis (Almost) The Season

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN** ** _CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR_**

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** **Man, it's been a while. I'm gonna save my all comments for the end of the chapter. So read on!**

* * *

 **NOW LOADING:  
KIDS NEXT DOOR MISSION**

 **OPERATION:  
S.E.C.R.E.T.S.A.N.T.A.**

 **SECTOR'S  
ELATED  
CHRISTMAS  
REMINDS  
EVERYONE  
THAT  
SILLY  
ANGST  
NEVER  
TRUMPS  
AMITY**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1: 'TIS (ALMOST) THE SEASON**

* * *

Rachel giggled. "So, would you say the mission was a success?"

The operative standing before her, one Nigel Uno, crossed his arms and gazed at her overtop his sunglasses. "Well, everyone came back alive, so I guess we can call it that."

Rachel giggled again, both at his comment and his demeanor. Simply reliving the previous weekend's events had clearly annoyed him; it made her wish she had been there herself, to see how he must have blown his top at the time. Hey, that's what friends do, right?

She bore a big smile until he mirrored it himself. He crossed his arms, probably as a half-hearted form of protest. "Still, I don't think I'll be going camping with the team again anytime soon. Or ever."

"I'm so _excited!_ "

An ear-piercing shriek echoed across the bridge, turning the pair's gazes to the far side, where the rest of Sector V had just appeared. Everyone near Kuki seemed to be reeling from shellshock, holding their ears and grimacing.

"Yeah," groaned Hoagie, stumbling out of the elevator. "I can tell."

Abby chuckled, garnering a grin from her portly friend. She led the group over to their leaders, where she tilted her hat in an old-fashioned salute. "Numbuh 362."

Rachel nodded in return, then turned to Kuki. "What are you so excited about?"

Kuki was positively beaming, actually shaking with excitement. "I saw my first Christmas commercial of the season today! It's officially _Christmas time!_ "

Her cheer was infectious; even Wally was smiling. "Eh, we're gettin' there," the young Aussie said with a shrug. "I'd sure like to see some snow before I get too excited."

Hoagie patted his blond friend on the back. "Don't worry, Numbuh 4, I heard the weather girl say this is gonna be one of the coldest winters our town has seen in years!"

"Really? Suh-weet!"

"Bleh!" Abby frowned, shivering at Hoagie's statement. "Numbuh 5's not a fan of the cold. Especially those freezin' winds."

"But isn't that worth just the _chance_ for snow?" Kuki asked, tilting her head a little to the side.

"Yeah, Numbuh 5," Hoagie added with a smirk, nudging his friend with his elbow. "Would you really rather go to school than deal with a slight, _refreshing_ breeze?"

Abby shot him a glare, even if her grin betrayed her attempt at intimidation. "So, we're still having our usual Christmas day get-together and gift exchange this year, right?"

The question turning everyone's attention to Nigel. who nodded. "Of course we are." The group's remaining grins and smirks to widen into full-on smiles. "We'll all meet in the treehouse that afternoon, after we finish with our families. Once everyone's there, we'll get started, _as_ usual."

"Yeah!" Wally exclaimed, pounding his fist into his open palm. "This year is gonna be the best!"

The Sector V operatives all spun around and headed back toward the elevator. Nigel exchanged a final glance with the Supreme Leader before following his team. Their excited buzzing quickly blended with that of the surrounding workers until it could no longer bet distinguished.

Rachel heaved a sigh and scanned her surroundings. Though the bridge was huge and always bustling with activity, its occupants tended to stay clustered together at several work stations. Outside of these particular spots, and the direct routes between them, most of its space went unused—a grand example of the Kids Next Door's tendency to overdo things. Still, from time to time, Rachel would take advantage of the faux seclusion. While she couldn't escape the constant droning of distant conversation, she could keep it at a distance, at least for a moment.

She strolled over to a section of railing as far from her subordinates as possible. Sure, it was in plain sight of everyone, but it was still out of the way. This was her favorite spot on the bridge, both because of privacy, and because it was the only spot where the extraordinary view of the Earth by the hexagonal dome support beams. She often considered building a shack there, or maybe a fence that shocked anyone who tried to annoy her while she was in her happy place. If nothing else, the thought always made her smirk.

Sadly, the effect was short-lived, and the smirk was trumped by a frown. She leaned forward, resting her forearms on the railing, and dropped her gaze to the deck below. It was too far to recognize or hear any of the operatives scattered about. Good. That meant none of them would see or hear their great leader sniffling. At least she'd be able to hear anyone approach her from behind.

"At least everyone else will still have a merry Christmas."

"Is something the matter?"

Rachel jumped up, twisting around. Nigel was strolling toward her, certainly within earshot already. Darn it!

"Oh, uh, Num... uh, Nigel! You surprised me! I thought you'd already... uh... Y-you don't make much noise, do you? Hear like a bat, though... So, uh, is there something else...?" She trailed off as Nigel settled his elbows on the railing next to her, his gaze fixed upon the Earth outside. She stared at him for a long, bewildered moment, waiting for him to speak. He didn't. Well, darn it all. With a deep breath and a sinking heart, she returning to the railing.

The two stared out the Earth in silence. It certainly seemed like a peaceful scene, but Rachel couldn't have been more anxious if there an actual elephant between them. Was he going to make her speak first? He'd be waiting for a long time, then!

"What's wrong, Rachel?"

Dang it.

She opened her mouth, ready to deflect his concern... but she knew she it would be for naught. He knew her too well. Did he notice during his debrief, or did she let her guard down too quickly when he turned away? It didn't matter now. She took another deep breath, then forced a smile. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather today. It's nothing serious, Nigel. Really."

Nigel glanced at her over his sunglasses. She didn't meet his gaze. "If it's bothering you, it's serious enough."

There was no rush to answer. She wanted to talk about anything else, but knew that wouldn't happen. There was no escaping the subject. Neither of them was going anywhere. At any rate, it's not as though he wouldn't find out sooner or later anyway, so... screw it, may as well get it out of the way now.

"My parents are going to be out of town for a few days." Her voice was calm, if a little hushed. "Daddy had a last-minute business meeting come up... somewhere in Europe, I don't know where. He wanted mommy to go with him so they could still spend Christmas together. Don't get me wrong, I hope they have a great time! But I'm still left here with Taylor and Harvey while they're gone."

"I can see how being stuck with Harvey would stink," Nigel muttered. "But you still have family at home. I thought you three all got along?"

Rachel scowled. "Not anymore."

Nigel furrowed his brow. "Go on..."

Rachel balled her fists. "This year, we could do anything we want for Christmas! So what does she decide to do? Make plans with her friends for the entire time mommy and daddy are gone! Didn't even talk to me about it!" She let out a sigh, and her anger seemed to leave with it. "She _is_ a teenager, I guess..."

"Rachel, I—"

The young blonde slowly shook her head. "So I'll either be spending the break at home—alone—or here at work. Probably also alone." She let out a derisive snort. "Still haven't decided which one is more appealing yet."

"Alone? I thought you said Harvey was—"

"Harvey's been hiding out at his treehouse since me and Taylor's fight. Probably going to stay there once mommy and daddy leave. Until New Year's, or whenever. I don't blame him."

"You guys had a fight?"

"Yeah... After daddy called to tell us about his trip, she ran up to her room. I followed to talk to her, and heard her already making plans with her friends. I... might have blown my top. A little bit."

"What did she have to say for herself?"

"I don't know, I... I didn't really ask her. I mean, what excuse could she really have, Nigel?! I told her I'd rather be with my friends, anyway."

Nigel nodded slightly as she finished. "That's... unfortunate." She nodded gloomily, and there was an uncomfortable silence. "Hey!"

Rachel was taken aback by his sudden outburst. "What?!"

Nigel straightened up and stepped away from the railing, and she did the same. "Come spend Christmas with me! I mean, us! At the treehouse!"

"Huh? I... Uh... A-Are... But... You...?" She paused, pursing her lips. "Are you sure? I mean, I'd hate to intrude..."

"Nonsense, you can't intrude when you're invited! And if you aren't doing anything, my family would love to have you over Christmas morning. You know, if you want."

"Why, that's... that's an awfully generous offer, Nigel. I..." Her cheeks flushed pink. "I-I don't know what to say."

"A simple 'yes' will suffice."

There was no holding back the smile now. "Yes."

* * *

 **A LITTLE LATER, IN THE COOLBUS...**

* * *

"So Numbuh 362 is gonna join us for Christmas?" Abby asked.

"YAY!" Kuki shrieked, throwing her arms up and spinning her chair. "The more the merrier! And she could use a break anyhow!"

"Yeah," Hoagie agreed from the cockpit. "She's always super busy, what with being the Supreme Leader and all. She shouldn't be working though the holidays."

" _And_ she's a cool kid to have around, anyways," Abby tacked on.

Wally mumbled something to himself, and all eyes fell on him.

"Do you have a problem with this, Numbuh 4?" Nigel asked, eyebrow cocked.

"Huh? OH!" Wally's eyes widened, and he waved his hands in front of him. "No, no, no, not like that! I like Numbuh 362! It's just, I'm gonna be a little pressed for cash to get everyone gifts as it is..."

"Now that you mention it, Numbuh 5 is a little low on funds, too."

The compartment grew quiet as the rest seemed to come to the same conclusion.

"So, what?" asked a flustered Wally. "We gonna assign who to get presents for or somethin'?"

"YES!" Kuki cried.

Hoagie raised an eyebrow. "Uh..."

"Aaah, Numbuh 5 gets it!"

"Well, Numbuh 2 doesn't. Care to explain?"

"Secret Santa, fool!"

"'Secret Santa'?" Wally repeated. "I don't get it."

"It's easy!" Kuki exclaimed, directing everyone's attention to her. "We'll each write our names on a piece of paper, and then we'll put them in a hat, and then we'll draw names! Whosever name you get is who you get a present for!"

"What if I get my own name?"

"Then you draw again, silly!"

Abby smiled. "Numbuh 5's down for some covert Christmas operations."

"Yeah, me too!" Hoagie proclaimed.

"Sounds good to me," Nigel agreed.

"Hm... I think I get it," Wally said, rubbing his chin. "Alright, let's do it!"

* * *

 _"Secret Santa, huh?"_

The five operatives stood assembled before the huge screen in the briefing room, on which the image of Rachel was displayed.

"Yep!" Hoagie confirmed.

 _"Ha! Alright, sounds like fun. When will we pick names?"_

"We've already got the names ready to draw!" Kuki said, pointing to Abby, who was holding her hat upside-down in her hand, much like a magician holding his top hat before he pulls a rabbit out of it.

"So, whenever you wanna start, sir," Abby said.

 _"Okay. I'll let you guys draw first."_

Everyone in the group looked around at each other.

 _"Um... maybe we should go by number?"_

"Alright, I'll go first then." Nigel stepped up to the hat and stuck his hand in. He dug around for a few seconds before pulling out a small, folded up piece of paper. He backed away from the group as he unfolded it, and, once he was sure no one else could see the name, read it. He grinned, and tucked the paper away in his pocket.

Hoagie, who was already standing next to Abby on the opposite side of the others, reached in and took the first piece of paper on the top. He opened it and immediately burst into laughter. He stifled it as quickly as he could, stowing the paper away in his pocket.

"Yay, my turn!" Kuki exclaimed, gleefully skipping up to Abby. She fished around in the hat, as if searching for a particular one. She withdrew her hand—well, sleeve—and retreated to a spot behind Wally to read her pick. She giggled wildly, and then concealed it in her sleeve.

"Hmph, alright," Wally muttered to himself, still watching Kuki as he approached the hat. His tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he seemed to concentrate hard on judging which paper was the right one for him. Satisfied with his selection, he plucked the one from the bottom and stepped away, eyeing the group suspiciously as he began to unfold it. Nigel and Hoagie exchanged glances, probably wondering if they should tell him that he had his back to the huge screen behind him. Luckily for Wally, Rachel cleared her throat. He looked at her over his shoulder as if he'd just noticed her there, and shuffled over to a spot where no one was behind him. He double-checked, and then finished unfolding the paper. A sinister grin appeared on his face, and he snickered forebodingly.

Abby shook her head as she grabbed one of the two remaining pieces, unfurling it in her free hand. She smirked and nodded to herself, but stayed quiet.

"Alright, Numbuh 362, hope you're ready!" Kuki announced. She grabbed the remaining paper, walking up to the screen. She opened it facing the screen. Rachel grinned.

"Aaand that's it!" Abby announced, donning her now-empty hat. "Everyone good to go?"

Everyone nodded, and looked up at the screen.

 _"Then... let the reindeer games begin!"_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** **Oh yes, it's this nonsense again.**

 **I haven't done much writing in the past few years. When I haven't been really busy—which I have been most of the time—I've been working on other things. I've wanted to come back to this story, but never found the time during the past couple winter seasons. This one wasn't much better. But, I'm going to keep going with it, even if it's Christmas In July by the time I finish the last chapter. My goal is to work on it at least a little bit every day, even if no one reads it, because I need to get better about finishing what I start.**

 **I'll say it now: my lack of writing practice will show. This writing will be** ** _faaaaar_** **from professional quality. My priority was to keep things easy to read, since I know many in this fandom are pretty young. With that said, I've had fun with it, and I'm content enough with how it's turned out. Wish I had the extra time to better do it justice, but it is what it is.**

 **If you made it all the way down here, please do leave a review, even if it's just two words (or whatever the minimum may be—it's been a while). If you don't feel like it, that's cool too. Thanks for reading!**

 **Cheers,  
\- Marty**


	2. The Announcement

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN** ** _CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR_**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2: THE ANNOUNCEMENT**

* * *

December 1st. That first magical day of the Christmas season for many, including the members of Sector V. They could just feel its spell on them—that spell which shattered their attention spans until January.

It was the day their town officially began its wondrous transformation into a true Christmas wonderland; houses became exhibits of lights and yuletide decor, streetlights bore ribbons and wreaths, ornamented pine trees of all sizes appeared around public centers, and even the cold-year-round corporate buildings hung wreaths in their windows. And the shops... oh, the shops! The festive displays coated with cottony snow, the smells of gingerbread and pine needles and mint wafting out every door, the employees clad in red and green with Santa and elf hats, the holiday music playing in the background. The toy shops in particular were ready for war, with boxes bulging off shelves left and right, just begging passing parents to take them home... It's true, Christmas is about giving, not receiving, but... let's be honest, our characters are kids. They know what's up.

Gallagher Elementary School was showing its Christmas spirit as well, mostly adorned by its students. But all it did was remind them of the looming holiday, and the break that came with it. Classes may have been easing up, but school was still school. And while not all of them necessarily despised school, it was torture for all this time of year. Of course, it was _always_ torture for Wally. Made his head hurt, no matter how many times he tried to numb it by banging it against his desk.

"Okay, class!" Miss Thompson said pleasantly, "It's December! And I have an announcement!"

Wally ceased his head-banging and looked up at his teacher, allowing her the rare honor of the class's undivided attention.

"This year, the school is hosting a Christmas play!"

Wally frowned, disappointed that he halted his cranial battery for that. He turned his head to look at Nigel, who was sitting across the room from him. The bald boy didn't seem as discontented as him, but he didn't light up, either. The rest of the class, on the other hand, lit up with excitement. Kuki in particular was ecstatic, bouncing a little in her seat. She loved plays, and she loved Christmas! Both of them in one? Count her in!

"See me after class to sign up! Now, onto history! Who can tell me—"

 _Wham! Wham!_

* * *

The dismissal bell rang, and everyone leapt from their seats. Most of the class funneled out through the doorway to their freedom, while some approached their teacher about the play. The Sector V gang gathered somewhere in between.

"Oh my gosh, a Christmas play!" Kuki squealed gleefully, hopping up and down. "Let's all do it!"

Wally was quick on the draw to shoot down her proposal. "Nuh-uh! I ain't doin' no cruddy play!"

"Aww, c'mon, Wally!" She folded her hands together. "Please please pleasepleaseplease oh puh- _leeease_!"

The boy twitched, but stood his ground. "No way! Prancin' around on stage, makinj' a fool of myself? Not gonna happen!"

Kuki looked dismayed, but resumed her eagerness as she turned to the others. "What about you guys?!"

"Sorry, Numbuh 3," Nigel said, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "I'm with Numbuh 4 on this one. Can't say I'm much on plays, either. Especially after how the last one turned out..."

Kuki frowned, shifting her attention to Abby. "PUH-LEEEASE!"

Abby thought for a moment. "Eh, why not? Numbuh 5 needs to start her actin' career somewhere."

"Yayy!" Kuki hugged her grinning friend, then looked to the last remaining boy.

"No need to ask me," Hoagie said, "I'm there!"

"Really?" Wally asked, raising an eyebrow. "I never pegged you as much of a stage performer."

Hoagie shook his head. "Nah, I'm not gonna be _in_ the play, exactly. I'm gonna be doing lights and stuff backstage."

"That works!" Kuki conceded happily. Three out of five was pretty good. She grabbed Abby by the wrist and dragged her toward Miss Thompson. "C'mon, let's sign up already!" Hoagie smirked and followed them at a casual pace. The other two, likely having seen enough of the classroom for the day, escaped to the hallway.

"So, Numbuh 4, have you decided what you're getting for your person yet?"

"Huh?"

"For Secret Santa."

"Oh, right. Eh, I've got an idea, but I dunno yet. What about you?"

"No idea," Nigel confessed. "I think I'll have to go to the mall or something, see if anything sticks out."

"Sticks out? What're tryin' to get 'em, a porcupine?"

"No, I... what?"

The two stared at each other in confusion for a moment, before their friends joined them from the classroom. Together, they all headed outside.

"So, what are the details about the play?" Nigel asked.

"I thought you didn't like plays?" Kuki retorted, apparently a little sore.

"I don't care to be in them," Nigel clarified."But I'm more than willing to come see my friends in one."

"The play's gonna be the first day of Christmas break," Abby said. "The evenin' of the 20th, at five o'clock."

"It's not gonna be too long," Kuki chimed in, "It will be a series of skits and carols! I don't know which ones yet. The first rehearsal is in a couple days!"

"I'm gonna be in charge of everything behind the scenes!" Hoagie announced, sticking his chest out. "This play is gonna have the best effects ever!"

"Effects?" Kuki echoed incredulously. "What kinda effects could we _possibly_ need for a _Christmas_ play?"

Hoagie winked at her. "Leave that... to me."

"Whatever," Abby said, shaking her head. "As long as you don't make our rehearsals last forever. Abby's gonna need some time off to figure out what to get her person for Secret Santa."

"Yeah, me too," Kuki agreed, scaling down her excitement. "I didn't think it'd be this hard to decide what to get someone, but there are just so many choices!"

"Don't wory, I'm right there with you on that," Hoagie said doubtfully. "Since I'm only getting a present for... uh, one of you guys, I wanna make sure it's perfect."

"Exactly! There's just so many new Rainbow Monkeys out this year!"

Everyone rolled their eyes as they exited through the double doors leading outside.

* * *

"Numbuh 362!"

Rachel sighed, slowly turning around. Numbuh 86 was already standing at attention. No one could storm their way across the bridge with such haste as Fanny could.

"At ease, Numbuh 86," she ordered with a slight wave of her hand. "What is it?"

"Sir!" Fanny stepped closer and stood with her hands behind her back. It was difficult to differentiate between her 'at ease' and 'at attention' sometimes. "Numbuh 81 reports the mess hall decorations as complete! However, I inspected it meself, and the red overtakes the green by about zero eight percent! I told him to fix it, but he just blew me off! Said it was fine!" She crossed her arms and looked away long enough to mutter to herself, "Stupid boy..."

Rachel placed one hand on her hip and the other over her eyes. Fanny had been pestering her about small, insignificant things like this all day. Most of them had to do with the girl's sudden intolerance of the Moonbase Chief of Security, Numbuh 81. Normally, the two kept their bickering to a minimum, even if only to make their own lives easier.

To explain their predicament, let's start from the beginning: on the Kids Next Door Moonbase, it was a tradition to deck the halls with Christmas cheer on December 1st. A lot of places down on Earth did so on that day, so the date was agreed on some time ago. Everyone on the station would pitch in to get it done in a reasonable amount of time. Fanny had been in charge of supervising the yuletide beautification project ever since she got promoted to Head Decommissioner and stationed herself on Moonbase, and it was something she took much pride and enjoyment in. It was a time for her to loosen up, which was something she desperately needed.

Well, when talking with Numbuh 81—a boy named Trent—that morning, Rachel had inadvertently let on about her lack of excitement for this year's holiday season. Now, she had been friends with Trent since before he joined the Kids Next Door, so when he caught wind of her gloom, he immediately went into "comfort mode," and coaxed her into telling him about her situation. He did his best to cheer her up, but she wanted to be alone, and so sent him to assist in supervising the decoration efforts.

In hindsight, she should have realized sending someone— _especially_ a _boy_ —to co-supervise something Fanny usually did by herself would only lead to one headache after another.

"Ugh... Numbuh 86, are you sure it's not just because he's a boy?"

Fanny looked taken aback. "Why, sir! You know that I like—well... I don't mind Numbuh 81. He's alright. Decent lad. Kinda funny. An' I wouldn't mind him helpin' out IF HE WASN'T MESSIN' EVERYTHIN' UP!"

"Please don't yell," Rachel mumbled, her hand still covering her eyes. "I have a headache."

 _And it won't stop whining about EVERYTHING..._

"Sorry," Fanny said, lowing her volume back to normal, though not sounding apologetic at all. "But he's bein' sloppy! I can't have my Moonbase lookin' like a dumpster on Boxin' Day!"

Rachel groaned. "Fanny..." she said quietly as she looked up at the redhead, causing her to shrink sheepishly.

"Wha'? Zero eight percent is a lot..."

"STOP BELLYACHING ABOUT STUPID THINGS AND JUST GET IT DONE!"

Fanny jumped back, almost tripping over herself. "Y-y-yes sir!" She saluted, and practically sprinted off the bridge.

"Gosh, I don't know what her problem is—well, I do, but still... I wish she'd get over it already."

Rachel wandered over to her favorite secluded section of railing overlooking the Earth. The decorating of the Moonbase was fun and great for morale, but she wasn't feeling it this year, even without Fanny's nagging. She wasn't really feeling the _season_ this year. Her parents were going out of town, and her siblings would rather spend the holidays with their friends than her. Why would she be excited for this year? Why _should_ she be excited about spending Christmas alone?

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Nigel _did_ invite her to spend Christmas with him. Plus she was part of his sector's Secret Santa game. But she wasn't planning on accepting the invitation for Christmas morning, and she was trying to think of an excuse to give them to leave after the gift exchange that afternoon. It was awfully nice of them to invite her to be part of their celebration, but she knew it was just because they pitied her. She didn't want to intrude on their fun, their time together... What right did she have to do so?

She sighed. She still needed to figure out what to get for her Secret Santa. She had no idea what to do. Whatever it was, it needed to be perfect to show her appreciation...

The elevator door across the bridge hissed open. Somehow, Rachel knew what was coming.

"Numbuh 362!"

She groaned. It was going to be a long month.


	3. We Count The Days Left

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN** ** _CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR_**

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** **As I said in the original posting of this, my friend KNDFANGIRL planted the idea of Rachel's older sister into my head. So that's why she's there.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3: WE COUNT THE DAYS LEFT...**

* * *

Rachel strolled across the parking lot, enjoying the clear blue sky and brisk air. The Moonbase was cool and all, but the air was just so... stale. It was good to get some fresh air now and then. Healthy, even. It was a much-needed break from work, and she complimented it with a break from her typical uniform, sporting blue jeans, an orange long-sleeve shirt under a half-zipped teal fleece jacket, and soft brown boots.

Her older sister was nice enough to give her a ride, though Rachel believed it was only because she was heading out for the nearby stores anyway. The two of them had always gotten along so well, but Rachel was still sore about spending Christmas Eve and Day without family. Needless to say, the car ride there was entirely devoid of conversation.

She was nearing the entrance of the colossal Toys 'B' Us. It was a grand place for kids, but she wasn't there for leisure; today, she was there on a mission. Today's task would be the most stressful one she had carried out in quite some time. The objective: find the perfect gift for her Secret Santa. And if you asked her, she had the most difficult one of all. Why couldn't she have gotten Numbuh 3 or something? She'd be easy, just get a Rainbow Monkey. Or any kind of stuffed animal, really. Still, she felt pretty grateful for her target. It would be a good chance for her to repay some of their kindness, as well as doing something nice for a member of her best team.

"I'll find the right present," she assured herself as she stepped through the first set of automatic doors. "Why, I'm sure it's sitting right on the other side of these doors, just _waiting for me_ to come in and claim it!" A smile began to crawl across her face. She had this.

Or so she though. As the second set of doors parted to reveal the ginormous bustling hive that was Toys 'B' Us during the holiday season, her confidence deflated like air out of a whoopee cushion beneath a sumo wrestler. Sure, she expected the place to be set up for the holiday, but it was mesmerizing just the same. Rows and rows of every kind of toy imaginable, displays showcasing the latest and greatest video games, pre-built models of planes and cars and trains, dolls and action figures, waterguns and styrofoam-dart guns of all calibers, RC vehicles of all sorts, sports gear, silly voice changers... It was a sight to behold, what with all the bright colors and flashing lights and loud noises and... and...

Where the heck was she going to find the right present in all this?!

Remember that whole thing from the last chapter about shops this time of year? I probably forgot to mention the hordes of frantic shoppers. They don't really set the mood quite as well as, say, a gingerbread house. Sure, they're pretty passive this early the month, but their numbers and intensity grow exponentially with every passing day. All the more reason to find the right something and get the heck outta Dodge as quickly as possible.

Rachel sighed, feeling like an ant in a supermarket. That perfect gift would have to be a little patient...

* * *

Man, there were _so many_ cool toys in here! Wally's jaw hung open as he scanned a wall of action figures. Every decent comic book hero he could think of was there, in solid plastic form. He wanted to take them all home. But he wasn't there for himself. Not this time. But probably next time.

How was he ever going to decide on what to get his Secret Santa this year? Normally, he just grabbed a cheap comic book for each of his teammates. But this year was different. Sure, he could just pick something and call it a day—any of these action figures would be awesome—but, he heard the others. They were all putting real effort into finding top notch gifts. So he needed to do the same.

The Aussie tore his gaze away from the wall of ripped dolls and moved on to the next, though not without a glance back over his shoulder. You'd think he was parting ways with a good friend whom he wouldn't be seeing again for a long time.

He stalked up and down each aisle, examining every item on every shelf, slowly and methodically making his way around the store. There were plenty of things that would have made good presents, but, again, he couldn't settle for good. He needed _Great_. Or maybe _Totally Sweet_. Yeah, definitely that one. But what could live up to that kind of hype? Maybe—

Hello, what's this?

Wally had stepped out from an aisle to start on the next one when a familiar face caught his eye. He backed out of sight, then poked his head around the corner.

Numbuh 362? Was she here shopping for her Secret Santa, too?

The girl was walking his way, though was apparently too preoccupied to notice him. Wally hastily jerked back as she drew nearer, then peaked out again as she slogged past him.

"Wow, she was _really_ in the zone! I wonder who she's shopping for." He raised a brow, then leered after her. "I wonder who she's shopping for..."

He allowed her to space out from him a little more before stalking after her. He darted from cover to cover, hiding behind displays and boxes and even a larger woman in an obnoxiously flowery dress. The stalkee stopped several times, picking up a box or eyeing a display with interest. Wally would perk up with anticipation, only to be disappointed when she'd just shake her head and continue on.

This was getting old. He hoped she would hurry up and—

"Ah- _hem!_ "

Wally spun around, already spouting off an alibi. "No I wasn't! I was checkin' out this sweet display of..." He looked over his shoulder at the display he was using for cover. "...of..." He grit his teeth. "...of the _Rainbow Monkey Pink Paradise Best Friends_ collection..."

Abby, arms crossed, scoffed. "Really? That's the best yah got?"

Wally opened his mouth to try again, only to shut it in defeat. "Fine. That's not why I came here, though! I was just looking for a present! For my Secret Santa!"

Abby looked him up and down, then smirked. "Same here. This whole thing is a bigger pain than Abby expected."

"Guessin' that means you ain't found the right gift yet neither, eh?"

Abby shook her head. "Nope. But that's alright, we still got, like, what, 23 days? Well, more like 22."

"That's like two weeks!"

"Uh—"

"That's plenty of time!"

"Heh. Be careful thinkin' that, _Wallabee_. Time tends to fly by when it's goin' against yah."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Abby chuckled. "Oh, you'll see. Abby's sure of it."

Wally huffed. "So, who'd you get?"

"Ha! You really think Abby would just tell you?"

"Yep!" Wally leaned in, smiling smugly. "Unless you've got _me_ , of course!"

Abby rolled her eyes. "Maybe Abby just doesn't wanna spoil the surprise for anyone. Who've _you_ got, then?"

"Huh! You don't tell me, I don't tell you!" He looked over his shoulder. "Hey! Where'd Numbuh 362 go?"

The two looked around, then shrugged in unison.

"Donno," Abby said, turning to the nearest aisle. "Wonder if she found what she was looking for..."

* * *

Rachel sighed as the outermost doors slid out of her way. Every ounce of her disappointment was plastered across her face. She'd checked every item in that place, yet nothing seemed quite right. Everything there just seemed so... generic. Impersonal. Useless for her mission. Guess she'd have to try her luck around town. But that would have to be later; she could see Taylor already waiting for her in the parking lot. Her sister would probably want to go home already.

She stuffed her hands into her pockets and studied the pavement under her feet as she made her way to her sister's car, shivering as a cold breeze caught her off-guard. "Brr! Guess that cold winter's not very far off at all..."

She came up to the blue sedan, opening the door and climbing into the passenger seat. Her sister was slouching in the driver's seat, talking away on her cell phone. Rachel fastened her seatbelt and waited in silence.

"I really can't believe he actually said that to you! That's _too_ funny! You should think about it, though. He's a really nice guy! But hey, listen, Rachel just came back, so I'm gonna head on home. I'll call you once I'm back in my room, alright? Alright, girl. Bye!" Taylor, who looked very much like an older version of Rachel, flipped her phone shut and dropped it down into the cupholder in the middle console. She giggled to herself, probably about whatever her friend had just told her, and looked down at her younger sibling. "You ready to go, Rach?"

Rachel shook her head, turning her head to look out the window. Taylor's smile waned a bit, but returned to full with a turn of the key in the ignition. As she navigated her way out of the parking lot, her music started to play. Rachel recognized the tune as "Carol Of The Bells," though this particular version sounded like it was performed by some rock band. She liked it. The young blonde immersed herself in the music, imagining herself walking through a snow-covered neighborhood somewhere far away.

It wasn't as though the sisters had never gotten along. They'd always been pretty close. Growing up, Taylor had always looked out for her little sister, and often went out of her way to spend time with her. Like now, for example: ever since getting her driver's permit, Taylor was always offering to drive Rachel places. Of course, Rachel figured any show of kindness now was an attempt to distract from her abandonment, and so refused to appreciate it.

Taylor had also been a member of the KND—a spy, no less—which was Rachel's main influence to join. Even after decommissioning, Taylor remained her little sister's hero. She was one of the few teens who actually opposed the Teen Ninjas, advocating the notion of, "if we leave kids alone, they'll return the favor." Of course, the Teen Ninjas seemed to despise kids on principle, but she refused to stoop to their level. Rachel was perplexed by this for a long time, wondering if her elder sister somehow knew she held her old position. But by the time she became Supreme Leader, she was convinced Taylor had no idea she was anything more than a regular member of the nearby sector. For some reason, it gave Rachel a new level of appreciation for her support.

Rachel couldn't have asked for a better sister. At least, not up to this point. There was no doubt why it hurt so much when she decided that she was spending Christmas with her friends, even knowing that left Rachel all alone. It just wasn't the kind of thing she ever expected from her. Maybe she was turning into a regular teenager...

"So," Taylor said as they hit the main road, "who are you gift shopping for?"

Rachel didn't want to answer her. But, she figured there was no point in trying to block her out. After all, she was trapped in the car with her. "A friend."

"From school?"

"No, from work."

"Ah, the Kids Next Door. He a member of one of your sections?"

"Sector. And who said it was a he?"

"Sorry. Is _she_ a member of one of your _sectors_?"

"Didn't say it was a _she_ , either."

Taylor sighed, side-glancing at Rachel, who crossed her arms stubbornly. "Rach..."

"Yes. My best sector. I need something exceptional. But I have no idea what..."

"Aw, Rach, that's so nice! Well, do you know where you wanna look next?"

"No... I honestly don't know. I guess I'll go store hopping until I find something."

Taylor chuckled. "That could work. But, you know, you don't have to _buy_ him—or _her_ —anything."

Rachel looked over at her sister for the first time in days, brow furrowed. "Huh? I can't just get them nothing. That's terrible."

"I mean, sometimes the best gifts don't appear on a shelf. There _are_ other things. You can even make something yourself. A good gift doesn't come from a store, it comes from the heart."

Rachel pondered her words for a minute. "I get it... but I think I'll still look around some more."

"Okay! I can't today, but if you wanna wait, I'm free for the rest of the week. I wouldn't mind driving you, maybe even help out, if... that's okay?"

Rachel turned back to her window. "Yeah. Sure."


	4. Preparations

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN** _ **CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4: PREPARATIONS**

* * *

The Gallagher Elementary School auditorium was quite lively throughout. The children decorating the walls on either side of the sea of seats could hear those socializing up on the stage, thanks to some top notch acoustics. Suspended above the stage, comfortably out of sight of anyone off-stage by elegant burgundy curtains, were rows of lights of various colors and some walkways from which stagehands could reach said lights.

"Man, Numbuh 5 hasn't been in here since the last play!" Abby said as she and Kuki walked down the aisle toward the stage. The decorations were all made with construction paper and glitter, giving everything that sort of look you'll only find at the hands of an elementary schooler. Snowy houses and trees and snowmen were taking shape, along with candy canes and other Christmasy things.

"Me neither," Kuki admitted. "But it looks so pretty in here! Everything already looks so cute!"

"Yeah, well... Let's just hope this show doesn't bring the house down like that one did."

Kuki giggled. "Oh, I donno, I thought that last one was pretty special!"

Abby couldn't help but scoff. "Yeah, it was special, alright..." She only remembered the fight that broke out, thanks to the Delightful Children From Down The Lane. Kuki, on the other hand, remembered Wally coming back for her after everyone else had left, evening singing part of the finale with her to cheer her up. Sure, she only got one line out of him, but he tried for her, right? She cherished the memory just the same.

The two girls reached the bottom of the aisle steps, then ascended those leading to the backstage area. A few seconds later, they emerged from behind the curtains, watching their peers standing center stage. There were about twenty total, all buzzing excitedly and speculating about the play.

"Looks like a good turnout," Abby said. "But, uh, is this everyone who's gonna be on stage?"

"I think so. Why?"

"It's all girls. Are we gonna-"

A spotlight illuminated her and Kuki. They looked at each other, then up past the source at Hoagie, who smiled and waved. Kuki smiled and returned the gesture, though Abby smirked and placed her hands on her hips.

"A verbal 'hello' woulda done just fine, Numbuh 2. It's a li'l too early for this kinda attention, though-we don't know who'll be the lead. Though Numbuh 5 appreciates the vote of confidence."

"I know," He said. "You just seemed kinda curious about the set, so I thought I'd _shed some light on it!_ " He burst in a fit of laughter, leaning on the railing for support. The boy next to him smacked himself in the face.

Abby shook her head. "Boy, you better be glad you all the way up there, 'cause that was the lamest joke of the season yet..."

"Well, we've still got the rest of the month, so don't you worry about that."

Abby rolled her eyes, stepping out of the light to join the rest of the group.

"Hey, hey, Numbuh 5! You're not lit up anymore! It's nice to see you so de-lighted!"

Kuki skipped after her gleefully, humming "Jingle Bells" over the echoes of Hoagie's cackling. The two lingered on the outside of the group, listening in on their classmates' discussions of the holiday and their plans for it.

"Well, well, well," said an all-too-familiar chorus of synchronized voices from behind. "There seems to be an impressive amount of participation for this year's Christmas play."

Everyone twisted around to face the Delightful Children From Down The Lane as they emerged from the shadows. Abby curled her hands into fists and glared at the clump of villainy. "Well, well, well _yourselves_ , yah buncha dorks! Y'all here to ruin another good show? 'Cause Numbuh 5 is down to go ahead an' get your butts kicked now an' get it over with?"

"Why, Abigail!" they said, their voices high in faux offence, "Why would we want to do any such things? We only want to do our part to bring Christmas cheer into the lives of those who graciously attend the play which we'll have worked so hard to present!"

"Ha! The only people y'all care about are yourselves. _Especially_ this time o' year! You've proven that!"

To Abby's surprise, their expressions turned somber, and they shook their heads. "That... _incident_ last year was most unfortunate. We've learned our lesson, though. And we do want to make up for it."

They really seemed sincere. Apologetic, even. Abby couldn't detect any devious tones in their voice. Er, voices. It's still plural, right? Anyway, she still didn't buy it-they'd also proven before to be exceptional actors. _But_ , they were still students volunteering for a school play, and everyone knew she couldn't stop them.

"Hmph. Numbuh 5's got her eye on y'all..."

They smirked. "Of course, Abigail. We wouldn't have it any other way."

"That's 'Numbuh 5' to you."

"Okay, children!" Miss Thompson called out from her seat in the middle of the front row, seemingly oblivious to the drama onstage. Her voice drew their eyes to her like a magnet. "Who's ready to start rehearsal?!"

A collective cheer of affirmation. Kuki was the loudest. Abby glanced at the Delightful Children from the corner of her eyes, only to see them smiling pleasantly at their teacher. If they were up to something, they were hiding it well.

* * *

"Ohmygosh, this play is gonna be _sooo_ great!" Kuki said as she donned her pink Rainbow Monkey jacket. "I can't believe we both got lead parts! This is gonna be so much fun!"

"Meh," Abby said, already in her blue jacket. She held her script in on her right hand, and Kuki's in her left. "Numbuh 5 thinks she's gonna swap hers out for a smaller role tomorrow. Abby didn't realize there'd be so much singin'..."

Kuki zipped up her jacket, and Abby handed her back her script. "Aw, c'mon, Numbuh 5!" She pleaded as they headed for the exit. "It's only two carols! And you have such a good singing voice! You're, like, the best in the school! You'll be great!"

"Yeah, Numbuh 5!" Hoagie chimed in, joining the girls by the outside exit. He opened the door for them, then assumed the spot next to Abby on the opposite side of Kuki. "It wouldn't be the same without you!"

"Aw, guys... Okay, fine. Numbuh 5'll do it."

Kuki giggled. "I knew you would!"

"Ha, sure yah did..."

"So are you guys comin' with us tomorrow?" Hoagie asked.

"Nah, can't. Got a dentist appointment. Numbuh 5 will see y'all back at the treehouse afterward, though."

"Okay. What about you, Numbuh 3?"

"Coming with who going where?"

"Me, Numbuh 1, and Numbuh 4 are gonna go pick out a Christmas tree for the treehouse."

"Ooh, that sounds like fun! But you boys have your fun, I'll wait at the treehouse and finish decorating."

"Suit yourself. So I've been watching this new show called..."

Neither girl was really listening. Both of their minds were on the same thing: Secret Santa. Neither was aware of the other's thoughts, which was kind of funny, seeing as it was the real reason for both of them opting out of the annual tree hunt. Great minds think alike, right? Or maybe it's just a girl thing.


	5. Lumberjacks & Loneliness

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN** _ **CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5: LUMBERJACKS & LONELINESS**

* * *

The still, pristine valley lay protected on all sides by immense, snowcapped mountains, shielded from the outside world, glistening under a perfectly blue sky. Colossal, unyielding trees stood proudly covered by snow, undisturbed by foreign influence—no wind could penetrate their titanic guardians. They were not only abundant, but packed tightly together, enough to conceal the ground somewhere underneath a single, vast canopy of white and green. There was no motion or sound at all. It was a living photograph of incomparable beauty and solitude.

That is, until the screaming of jet engines announced the imminent arrival of a KND SKYCLAW. The aircraft shot into few over the highest peak, skimmed down the mountainside, and leveled out just over the treetops. A mist of snow rose up behind it from the canopy as it went, creating an effect similar to that of a speedboat over water.

"Alright, Logger 2, make sure the targeting parameters are correct! We've only got one chance!"

 _"Don't worry, Lumberjack 1, I'm ready for this! I've got two shots right next to each other straight ahead! Stand by..."_

A loud boom, quickly followed by another, marked the departure of two rocket pods from the aircraft, which disappeared in the ocean of trees. No sounds of impact could be heard over the din of the jet engines.

 _"Lumberjack 1, this is Logger 2, confirm successful touchdown. Lumberjack 1, do you read me? Lumberjack 1!"_

* * *

The pod was still steaming, embedded into the cold ground. Loose snow that had shot up from impact slowly settled as echoes of the SKYCLAW's engines reverberated between the surrounding peaks.

 _"Lumberjack 1, do you read me? Lumberjack 1!"_

The side hatch of the pod fell away. Nigel stepped out from it, adorned in winter battle dress, examining his surroundings. The sky was totally obscured, the canopy unaffected by the pods that pierced it, though there was enough ambient light to illuminate the snow-covered forest floor. It was pretty, sure, but still kind of creepy. And that's why they were there. Er, the pretty thing, not the creepy thing. He brought his hand up to helmet, activating the flashlight attached to it. "Logger 2, this is Lumberjack 1, insertion was successful!"

 _"Whew! Had me worried when you didn't answer up! Is Lumberjack 4 okay?"_

A light appeared a few trees away. "That's affirmative, Logger 2. I have Lumberjack 4 in sight. We're moving to the target coordinates now."

The light approached Nigel, the silhouette behind it revealing to be Wally. The boy turned to show the duffel bag slung around his back, then gave a thumbs up.

 _"Roger that, Lumberjack 1. I'll be standing by to move in once the present is ready to be delivered."_

"I copy, Logger 2. Lumberjack 1, out."

The two trekked through the seemingly infinite columns of frozen wood. The only footprints to be seen were their own. The cracking of their feet breaking through the icy snow, the _zip zip_ of the shielding layers of warm parka shifting and rubbing against each other as they walked, the distant echo of jet engines... there were no sounds they didn't bring themselves. For all they knew, the kids of Sector V were the only humans to ever enter this little reserve. It was surreal.

"Ya know," Wally said, "This place is pretty much the complete opposite of the ol' Outback. But, _man_ ,is it cool here!"

Nigel looked back at his companion. The boy was looking all around, seemingly preoccupied with their surroundings. He had spoken so softly, Nigel couldn't tell if he was just thinking aloud. "I agree. It's a shame the girls didn't come along. They love this place."

"Yeah..."

They reached their destination. Wally dropped the bag onto the ground, and joined his leader in cranking his neck upward at the tallest tree in the forest. They had no idea of its exact height—it didn't really matter. Getting "the biggest tree we can find" didn't come with numerical specifications.

A couple of years ago, Hoagie happened across the serene valley while dodging a blizzard on his way home from a training mission in Alaska. Ever since, he's come to this hidden sanctuary for the perfect tree for their treehouse. And nothing less than the giantest tree would do.

"This is it," Nigel whispered. "Alright, Numbuh 4, let's get to work!"

Wally was already digging around in the bag. "Way ahead a' yah!" Seconds later, he withdrew an axe. He stared at it, as though wondering what it was doing in there. So he tossed it aside and continued his rummaging. "Ah-ha!"

"So, how are you planning on going about this?" Nigel asked, still examining the massive tree. In years past, they used a special MOSQUITTOH which had its forward antenna replaced with a giant chainsaw. Unfortunately, the previous year saw the early retirement of the aircraft, thanks to a miscalculation that resulted in the tree falling the wrong way. The wreckage was still around there somewhere.

"With _this!_ "

Nigel looked back at his Aussie friend to see him holding what looked like a roll of duct tape. "Um... Numbuh 4? What _is_ that?"

Wally chuckled, approaching the tree like a cowboy approaches an unbroken stallion. "A li'l somethin' Numbuh 2 made for just this occasion." He wrapped a line of the tape once around the tree, before retreating to Nigel's side.

"Numbuh 4, what—"

A bright flash and loud fizzing sound cut him off. He recoiled, shielding his face from his hands.

Wally stood fast, unfazed. "Cool."

Once the echoing—and ear ringing—subsided, Nigel turned back to the tree. The tape was gone, and the tree appeared untouched.

"Um... What—"

A loud creak, followed by another, followed by many more as the towering monster surrendered to gravity, before finally crashing to the side with a dramatic _Boom!_ A shockwave of snow caused everything to go white. Eventually, the haze dissipated, and for the first time, they were standing in sunlight.

"That was _awesome!_ Numbuh 2's a cruddy genius!"

Wally snatched up his bag, and the pair approached the downed tree.

"Logger 2, this is Lumberjack 1," Nigel said into his communicator, watching Wally climb up onto the trunk. "The present has been wrapped, and is standing by for delivery!"

 _"Roger that, Lumberjack 1! Stand by for extraction!"_

Nigel followed his friend onto the tree. They both covered their ears as the S.K.Y.C.L.A.W. appeared overhead. As the characteristic claw descended from the belly of the aircraft, Wally started laughing. "Man, I can't wait to get this monster back to the treehouse!"

* * *

Back in the Sector V treehouse, Kuki was humming "Jingle Bells" to herself as she tacked on the mistletoe to the kitchen doorway in the common area. She had really outdone herself this year: streamers, wreaths, and paper candy canes, snowmen, snowflakes, angels, elves, and Santa hats littered the walls, creating an atmosphere of pure Christmasy bliss. Well, almost. There were still two things missing.

"La la la, la la la, la la luh la laaa..."

She crossed through the threshold, eyeing the oven in which her first batch of Christmas cookies were probably done by now. She donned a pair of oven mitts, then carefully cracked open the oven door, as if her cookies might be ruined if she scared them. Squealing with delight, she let the door drop all the way open. In one swift motion, she grabbed the pan, whipped them out, and slid them onto a large red platter. The aroma was tempting, but she wouldn't allow herself to eat one tree, ornament, or snowflake until her friends all returned.

She carefully carried the plate into the common room, where she placed it on a small table she put behind the couch for just that purpose. She inhaled deeply, adoring the scent of freshly baked cookies Christmas cookies. "Ahhh... I hope Numbuh 5 gets back before the boys do, because I don't think these are going to last very long!"

Christmas baked goodies? Check. Now there was only one thing remaining: the tree. But she couldn't very well start decorating it before it even arrived, so for the moment, she could relax. She placed her hands behind her back, humming as she admired her work. There really wasn't anything else to do right then... Maybe she'd watch TV till the boys got back.

"Hm?" The soft beating of footsteps reached Kuki's ears from one of the connecting hallways, and she spun around just in time to see a girl come into view. "Oh, hello!" She greeted, popping a salute. "It's good to see you again, sir! I didn't know you were coming by today!"

Rachel smiled. A sheepish smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Hey, Numbuh 3," she said, stopping in the doorway. "At ease. I hope I'm not intruding. I just wanted to get away from the Moonbase for a while. Numbuh 86 has been driving me crazy lately. So I thought I'd come see how you guys are doing."

"No, you're fine! Come on over, there are cookies fresh from the oven! Have some!"

"Heh, yeah, I can smell them from here." Rachel approached the girl, taking in her surroundings. "You guys really know how to decorate here."

Kuki picked up the platter and presented it. "Go ahead!" she said, clearly eager for her to try one. Rachel obliged, grabbing a Christmas tree and taking a bite.

"Mmm! Wow, Numbuh 3, these are fantastic!"

Kuki giggled. "Thanks! It's my first batch of the year. I wanted to surprise the boys went they got back."

"Oh yeah? Where are they?"

"Canada."

Rachel tilted her head a bit to the side. "Uh... Canada?"

"Yep!"

"Um... okay... _why_ are the boys in Canada?"

"To get a tree for the treehouse. There's this secret spot where the best ones grow. It's beautiful there!"

"Ah. So why didn't you go with them?"

"I had to watch Mushi earlier."

"I see."

Kuki resumed admiring her decorations. Rachel finished her cookie and grabbed another, feeling awkward about the lack of conversation. She did like Kuki—how could she not—but the two had never spent much time around each other. What did they have to talk about? Not that Kuki seemed remotely bothered by the silence...

A faint rumble. Kuki's eyes shot upward. "They're here!"

The roof over their heads split open from the middle. The blaring of the SKYCLAW's engines immediately filled their ears as the barrier that muffled it before parted, making way for the monstrous fir now being lowered into the room. Kuki and Rachel stepped back a few steps for good measure.

"I didn't know the roof opened in here!" Rachel shouted.

"Yeeeaaah, this place is pretty convenient when it needs to be."

The tree landed with a loud _THUMP_ , sending a tremor through the treehouse. The metal claws around the trunk detached and retracted back into the belly of the aircraft as the roof slowly closed again. The tree was so tall the tip narrowly avoided being cut off.

The two girls, once again standing in silence, stared up at it in awe. All Rachel could manage was a soft, "Wow."

"'Wow' is right!" Wally said proudly as he appeared from the other side of the trunk. "This is the greatest Christmas tree in the world, no doubt!" He walked up to the pair, sniffing. "Hey, did you make cookies or somethin'?"

"Surprise!"

"Cool! You're awesome, Numbuh 3!" Kuki giggled as Wally grabbed a cookie from the platter and fit most of it into one bite. "Aw man, these are freakin' awesome!" He took a big bite, then turned to Rachel. "Ello, sir."

Rachel nodded in greeting. "Hello, Numbuh 4."

"Do I smell cookies?!" Hoagie practically ran up to them, seizing the platter with one hand and a cookie in the other. "Thanks, Numbuh 3!"

Nigel followed at a more casual pace. "Numbuh 362, sir!" He said, popping a saluting. "I was unaware you'd be here!"

Rachel smiled. "At ease, Numbuh 1, please. I just came by to get away from the Moonbase for a while."

"Well, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. So, are you guys about to decorate the tree?"

"Nahh," Hoagie said, a few crumbs escaping from his cookie-filled mouth. "I'm pretty beat. We'll do it tomorrow."

"You should totally come back and help us!" Kuki said.

"Well, I'll see if I'm busy... but, okay, that sounds like fun."

Rachel glanced over at Nigel, who was trying to grab a cookie from Hoagie, who kept twisting around to look at all of Kuki's decorations. A few attempts later, he was successful.

"So, Numbuh 362," Nigel said, shooting his rotund teammate a dirty look. "Are you sure you didn't come here for anything?"

Rachel thought for a second. "I'm sure. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Maybe she shouldn't lose hope for the year just yet.


	6. Tinsel & Tenderness

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6: TINSEL & TENDERNESS**

* * *

Rachel exited her bedroom, carefully shutting the door behind her. She crept down the blue carpet of her hallway, wary of making any sudden noise as she passed Taylor's room. Music could be heard through the closed door, but she didn't want to risk alerting her sister to her presence. She just didn't feel like facing her today.

She reached the stairs at the opposite end of the hallway. A look over her shoulder, and a smirk of satisfaction. Success! Didn't even need to break out any of her old spy moves.

"Hey Rach, where you goin'?"

Her eyes slammed shut, as though a fragile family heirloom had shattered on the ground behind her. They opened as Taylor reached the top of the stairs, holding bowl of soup and a glass of apple juice.

"Hey, Taylor," Rachel muttered. "I'm going to a friend's place. She invited me to help her decorate her Christmas tree."

"Sweet, that sounds like fun," Taylor said with a smile. The short one stepped around her, eyes locked on the front door. Taylor frowned at her back. "Hey. Rach."

Rachel stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She turned her head, though not enough to actually look at her elder sister. "Yes?"

"What's wrong, Rach?"

Rachel remained motionless and silent. What was wrong? Was she _serious_? "Nothing," she said flatly, and continued to the door. She got her hand on the doorknob before Taylor spoke again.

"Rach."

Rachel partially turned her head again.

"Please put a coat on. It's getting really cold out there."

* * *

Kuki sat on the couch in the treehouse common area, knitting as she listened to the KND News Network on the gigantic wall-mounted TV. Normally, she would have gotten bored and changed channels by now, but she wasn't paying it much attention—she really only had it on for the noise. Five stockings were laid out next to her: one red with black toes and heel, one light blue and brown, one green and black, one orange and blue, and one blue and red. She was currently working on a sixth, which was teal and orange.

"Hello?"

Kuki continued working away happily. After a moment, Rachel appeared next to her. "Hey, Numbuh 3."

"Hi, Numbuh 362," Kuki replied cheerfully, maintaining her focus. "How are you doing today?"

Rachel tossed several words around in her head, searching for one she was allowed to say in a child-friendly story. "Meh. Where's everyone else?"

"Haven't seen any of the boys yet. Numbuh 5 is in her room. We were waiting for you to get here before we got started."

"Oh, you guys really didn't need to wait up for me! I didn't mean to keep you from—"

"We wanted to. And like I said, the boys aren't even here yet."

"Hm... Okay." Rachel took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. This whole thing with her family was getting to her... She needed to loosen up. "So watcha got there? Stockings for your team?"

"Yup! I make new ones every year, since they always end up on fire."

"What—"

"And this one's going to be yours!"

"Mine? Why, that's really sweet of you, Numbuh 3, but you don't need to burden yourself—"

"I HAVE SPOKEEEEEN!" Kuki cried, bearing a needle at Rachel, who promptly lost her voice. She let her voice reverberate, then resumed knitting. "Everyone wants you here. Besides, Numbuh 1's really trying to help you be happy this season. I know you guys are good friends, so if you want to be so modest, then at least be happy for him."

Rachel stared. "So... we're waiting for the boys now?"

"We could," said Abby as she entered the room. " _Or_ we could go ahead and get started. Numbuh 5 didn't mind waitin' for you, but the boys tend to take _forever_ when they go to Numbuh 2's house for stuff—always get distracted by video games and whatnot."

Rachel giggled, looking back over to Kuki. "Want to?"

"Okay!"

"Cool."

* * *

The three girls didn't talk much for the next few minutes as they set up ladders and began hanging ornaments and wrapping tinsel around the tree. The weather segment of the news had started, and they were listening intently for Numbuh 7 to get to the part they cared about.

 _"Now, if you're in the northern part of the ol' U-S of A..."_

And there it was. They all froze, eyes fixed on the TV.

 _"..._ especially _around Ohio, you'd better break out the winter gear, 'cause, baby, it's cold outside! And it just gets colder from here! That's right, Sector V, it's only a matter of time until the first snowfall of the year for you!"_

Kuki's eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face. She looked over to Abby, then over at Rachel. Each one's expression mirrored hers.

"The first snowfall of the year," Abby echoed. "Music to Numbuh 5's ears. Now that the weatherboy has called for it, the next step is for Mother Nature to follow up."

"Yeah!" Kuki agreed, grabbing some more colored orbs from a large box. "There's nothing like the first snow of the year! I can't wait!"

"Maybe we'll even get some snow days from school before Christmas break. That'd be a nice surprise. Numbuh 5 could always do with a little extra time off."

"So could Numbuh 1. He's been kinda tense lately."

"Can't hardly blame him. Things ain't goin' too well between him an' Lizzie. Not that anything involvin' her goes well..."

"Still, it's important to him."

"Yeah, Numbuh 5 knows..."

Rachel stared at her reflection in the green orb she'd just hung. Nigel and Lizzie, coming to an end? Great! He deserved better. But he did seem happy with her, so he was probably feeling down about it, like the others said... But he'd be better off in the long run...

...right?

Either way, her delight from the news was quickly overridden by guilt. The boy was putting forth so much effort to salvage her Christmas cheer, yet hadn't so much as mentioning his own problems. And she hadn't so much as asked him how he was doing. Granted, he probably wouldn't have mentioned it, but still, he was being a much better friend than she was. She sighed, climbing down her ladder to grab another ornament.

"Good riddance," Kuki said, flashing a look of someone eating a vegetable. "She just brings him down. I don't know _what_ he sees in her."

"Numbuh 5 doesn't get it, either. But let's not spoil the mood with talks of _Lizzie_. How goes the gift hunt for your Secret Santa?"

"Um, I've got some ideas," Kuki said, turning away from Abby as she procured an orange, glittery ornament from her sleeve. She smiled at it for a second before hanging it on the tree. "What about you, Numbuh 362?"

Rachel, having seen Kuki's display, was chuckling to herself. "Um... I still have no idea what I'm gonna get for... them. How about you, Numbuh 5?"

"Bleh. Still nothin'. Numbuh 5 has been kinda preoccupied with practicin' for the play."

"Play? You're doing a play?"

"Yep. At school."

Kuki gasped as though she had spent the last two minutes underwater, almost falling off of her ladder. "You should totally come! It's on the 21st!"

"I'll... I'll try to be there," Rachel said, knowing full well her attendance would depend on how she'd be feeling that day.

"It's gonna be a good one," Abby said. "Guarantee yah won't regret goin'."

"Besides, it'll be a good break from work! Which you need really badly!"

Rachel smiled, though couldn't help following it up with a small sigh.

"You okay over there, Numbuh 362?" asked Abby from somewhere across the tree.

Rachel grimaced. She really needed to keep those sighs in check. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine, girl. C'mon, talk to Auntie Abby. Is it about your family?"

The girl was either very perceptive or a very good guesser. "...yeah."

"What is it, exactly?"

Rachel considered dodging the question. This was just the subject she had come there to escape. But, she didn't want to be rude. And... maybe opening up about it would help.

"It's my sister."

"Taylor?" Kuki asked.

"Yeah. She and I aren't really getting along right now."

"Numbuh 5 can understand that. Did she stop talkin' to you?"

"Well, no, she's talked to me. I guess I just haven't wanted to talk to her."

"Hm... she been mean lately?"

"Well, no..."

"So _you're_ the one not gettin' along with _her_?"

Pause.

"I don't know about that..."

"Why not just talk to her? Let her know how yah feel an' stuff?"

"Because she knows how I feel!" Rachel growled. She immediately groaned. "Numbuh 5, I'm sorry, I... Taylor and I, we... we didn't just start fighting out of the blue. You see, the other day—"

"It's alright," Abby said, walking into view. "Numbuh 1 gave the team a rundown of what's goin' on, just so nobody gets the wrong idea, or says the wrong thing. So you don't need to explain a thing, girl. And you'd better believe Numbuh 5 knows how stupid teenage sisters can be! You're smart—you'll sort this out."

Rachel stared at Abby's feet. "Don't know how..."

"Doesn't mean you won't figure it out."

"I... guess I can't argue with that." Rachel met Abby's gaze, and the two smiled at each other. "At least someone believes in me."

"You're the only one who doesn't, sir."

Kuki slid down her ladder, landing between them. "So! Did you guys see Muffy on Friday?! She looked sooo cute!"

Both Rachel and Abby burst into laughter. And that was that. For now.

* * *

A couple of hours passed. To Rachel, the time had flown by, thanks to the delightful company. The woes of the past week were the furthest from her mind they had been since they started, replaced with the simple joy of being in the moment. And in that moment, she stood between two friends, immersed in the aroma of mint, the taste of gingerbread, the sight of the red and green fir towering before her... It would have been enough to make her forget about her own decommissioning. Well, not really, but you can appreciate the sentiment.

"Wow, Numbuh 5, you were right: the boys _do_ take forever!" she said with a smirk.

"Heh, told yah. Well, Numbuh 5 would almost say we're done here, but it's still lackin' a little somethin'... somethin' to... top it off."

"Good thing we're here, then, 'cause I've got just the thing!"

Nigel, Hoagie, and Wally paraded the room. The speaker, Hoagie, was holding a large paper bag.

"About time!" Kuki said, dramatically throwing her arms up in the air. "We've already finished!"

"Oi, we _got_ the stinkin' tree!" Wally retorted.

"It's not finished _yet_ ," Hoagie said. He reached into the bag, and withdrew a large, golden star. "No Christmas tree is complete without a good hat."

Everyone agreed, and started chatting about something. Rachel wasn't really listening, though. Though she was facing the rest of the group, her eyes were on Nigel, looking for any hint of discontentment or anxiety. He didn't seem particularly enthusiastic, but there was nothing to say anything was out of the ordinary. And she had great attention to detail. Even so, she knew all was not well for him, and felt terrible that she was only making it worse.

Nigel had noticed her staring. Her heart leapt, but she didn't waver. She did blink first, but held her ground just the same.

This contest was going nowhere. Rachel took a few steps away from the others. Nigel got the hint and followed. They stopped an arm's length away from the tree, facing it.

"What is it, sir?" he asked quietly. He sounded normal. But she wasn't walking away without an explanation. A sort of revenge for his persistent friendship on the Moonbase a few days before.

"You can drop the act, Numbuh 1," she said, crossing her arms and giving him the stern look of a parent. "I know there's something on your mind. What's wrong?"

"Huh? I don't—"

"Nigel. Please, don't. What's wrong?"

He sighed. "It's... Lizzie. She's threatening to leave me. Again. But she seems serious this time. I thought she'd have cooled down by the time we got back from the camping trip, but she's still... I don't think we're going to recover from this one."

"Look, Nigel," she said, keeping her voice low. The rest of the group was still chatting away, and she didn't want to draw their attention. "I know you're fond of Lizzie. I don't know _why_ , but I know you are. Know that I say this because I'm your friend: _you deserve better_. She brings you down. I'm guessing you don't see it, but we do. _I_ do. And I hate it, Nigel, I really do. I know you're going to do what you're gonna do, and I'm behind you no matter what. Just, please... stop making us watch you set yourself up for failure."

Nigel stood motionless, his gaze resting somewhere in the mess of fir needles. Once again, Rachel couldn't get a reading on him.

"So who's gunna put it on?" Wally asked, causing Rachel to jump. He had approached without notice, and the proximity of his voice broke her concentration.

"Well," Hoagie said, dropping the paper bag and picking up a FLAPPUH that was conveniently laying nearby. "Considering she's our honorary guest..." He stepped up to Rachel, extending the winged pack and out to her. "...I think Numbuh 362 should have the honor this year."

Rachel's eyes widened as she looked around the group. "I..." She hesitated, then accepted the pack, staring down at it for a moment. She glanced over to Nigel, who smiled and nodded. "Thanks, guys."

She donned the pack, then graciously—and tenderly—accepted the large star from Hoagie, who made a silly face and rendered a salute. Giggling, she hugged the star tightly to her chest. Someone activated the FLAPPUH's wings, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Nigel, who flashed a small grin and gave a thumbs up. She smiled and nodded in return.

"Now, this thing is tricky to fly if you've never used it before," Hoagie explained, stepping between them. "You see, the way it works is—"

Rachel took a couple of steps back, launched up into the air. As one might have expected, she had no trouble navigating to the top of the tree, where she carefully bent the tip so she could slide the star into place. The instant she removed her hands, it lit up, painting the ceiling around it a warm yellow.

Wally chortled, punching Hoagie on the arm. "She figured out how to fly that thing in no time! Took you ages to stop crashin' into walls, and you built stupid thing!"

"True that," Hoagie said, rubbing his new sore spot. "I guess she's not the Supreme Leader for no reason, eh, Numbuh 1?"

"Yeah," Nigel answered quietly, his eyes fixed on Rachel. As she hovered there, admiring the star, the smile on her face... it wasn't the biggest, but it was the most sincere he'd seen on her in quite some time. And when she met his gaze, the star didn't strike him as the brightest thing in the room anymore. "She's pretty great..."


	7. Actors

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7: ACTORS**

* * *

The set was beginning to take shape. Unfortunately for you, I'm not spoiling anything about the play until a later chapter. But if you asked Kuki, she'd tell you that everything was coming along just great. So at least there's that, yeah?

"Okay, children," Miss Thompson said, "I need to run back to my room to grab a few things! You all just stay here and practice your lines till I get back." And with that, she zipped out of the auditorium. Before the door had even slammed shut, every student on stage had already dropped what they were doing and engaged in conversation.

Hoagie found Kuki and Abby standing near a large, half painted cardboard tree. The latter was fingering through her script, while the former was doing a sort of jig in place. Hoagie expected to hear music as he closed in, but there was none.

"I got one of the leads!" Kuki squealed. "I have so many lines! And you got the other one, Numbuh 5! This is amazing!"

"Calm yo'self, girl. Numbuh 5 ain't even read past the first page yet. Looks like you're gonna have a lot to remember."

"Not a problem! I never forget anything! Weeellllll, nothing important. Hey, Numbuh 2! We got the two leads!"

"Congrats! I'm sure no one is surprised. Anyway, I think I've figured out what I'm gonna get my Secret Santa person!"

Abby chuckled. "Yah _think_ you've figured it out?"

"Yeah, can't say for sure yet, but I've got my eye on somethin'."

"Ha! Well, that's more than Numbuh 5's got. But she ain't too worried about it just yet. Hey, have you seen the script at all? Numbuh 5 can't wait for this part!"

Hoagie leaned in for a look. "Well, no, we just got these like a minute ago. Haven't even skimmed through it yet." He withdrew with a snort. "Is that really it?"

"Yep! Those Delightful Dweebs are gonna throw a fit when they see that," Abby said with chuckle. "Not exactly the show stopper they were no doubt expectin'. Isn't that right, Numbuh 3?"

"Yes, they will surely experience difficulty with the interesting and/or humorous thing that is written on this paper, which the reader will not know because we will not say it out loud."

"Don't spoil it for us, Kids Next Door," chided the Delightful Children From Down The lane as they stepped out from behind an unpainted shape of a house. "We haven't gotten to our lines yet. But rest assured, we're quite capable of handling any role in a _delightful_ little play such as this. It _is_ in our nature, after all."

Abby crumpled the papers in her fist. "What were y'all doin' creepin' around back there?"

"Waiting for our cue."

"Whatever. Y'all can keep this pleasant act up, but we're watchin' you."

"We're _always_ pleasant, Abigail."

The auditorium doors flew open. "Okay, students! I hope you've been looking over your scripts, because we're about to get started! Places!"

The Delightful Children stepped forward as the rest of the students shuffled around. Abby halted them with her free hand. "That's Numbuh 5 to you, and that's strike two. You'd better believe that whatever trick you're hidin' up whoever's sleeve will be three."

They smiled, sidestepping around her. "We used up all of our tricks on Halloween. It's all treats for the rest of the year."

Kuki tugged on Abby's sleeve. "Come on, Numbuh 5, we don't start out here!"

Abby shot the Delightfuls another angry look, then followed her friend to the curtains on the far side of the stage, unwrinkling her script as she went. "Those dorks are so easy to see through! Do they really think they're gonna fool anyone here into thinking they're not planning somethin' diabolical?!"

"Maybe they're really telling the truth."

Miss Thompson clapped her hands twice. "Quiet now! There's lots to be done! Now, who's playing Girl #1?"

Abby glanced down at her script. "Hmph. Now wouldn't _that_ be a nice surprise for Christmas?"

* * *

 _"Are you ready for some MONSTER TRUCKS CRUSHING OTHER MONSTER TRUCKS?!"_

Wally sat slouched on the couch in the treehouse common area, grinning as the TV blared with loud announcers, crunching metal, and hard rock music. One of his favorite shows was on, and for once, there was no one to disturb him or try to change the channel; Nigel was off somewhere else, and the others were still at rehearsal. He had the treehouse all to himself.

Or so he thought.

He sprang to his feet, standing on the cushion while he scanned the room over the back of the sofa.

Nothing.

Weird, he could have sworn... ah, what was he doing? The absence of disturbances was so rare, he was imagining stuff. Well, that was enough of that! There were monster trucks that needed watching as they got destroyed by larger monster trucks! He snatched up the remote as he slid back onto his butt, cranking the volume up further.

A shadow stepped out from behind the couch. Whether it was a smart risk to hide right under the boy's nose or not, it worked this time. But that moment had passed, and the mystery sneak had already slipped out of the room. It slinked swiftly and noiselessly down the hallway until it reach the door with a large red "5" painted on it. The coast was clear. The door hissed open, and the sneak invited theirself in.

They stopped a few steps in. What were they looking for was unclear, but they were definitely where they wanted to be. They methodically made their way around the room, examining everything, but touching nothing. It was all very visual, and I could totally drag this out by describing every little thing they do in detail, but I don't think any of us really want that. After a few minutes of sleuthing, they scratched their head.

The sound of footsteps outside the door. The sneak scrambled toward it, then tripped as they tried to stop. It was already too late to leave that way. They jumped to their feet, frantically scanning the room. Time was running out!

They looked up.

The door hissed open. Abby stepped through, exhaling a heavy sigh of relief. She tossed her backpack to the side and began doffing her coat. "Man, it's really gettin' cold out there. Abby's gonna make herself some nice hot cocoa, and then relax to some tunes. Yeahhh, that's a good plan!"

She strode over to a large speaker next to the bar in the back corner. She reached for the ON button, but something on the bar shelf caught her eye. She stepped behind the counter, ducked out of view, then reappeared with a bottle of grape soda in hand. She stared it for a moment, then chuckled and set it on the counter. "Guess Numbuh 5 does still have a bottle left. Huh?!"

She looked around. Whatever she expected to see, she didn't.

"Hm... Numbuh 5 is hearin' things." She strolled back over to the amplifier, then pressed the ON button. Sparks flew out from the front, causing her to jump back. "Aw, dangit! That's gonna be a pain to fix... or replace. Oh well, at least the fireplace ain't gonna break."

There was already some wood ready for burning, so all she needed to do was light it. She reached for the box of matches on the mantel, when her eyes landed on a broken twig next to it. She looked up, where a branch protruded from the tree trunk. It was shaking a little.

The door hissed open, and she spun around in time to see it hiss shut.

"HEY!" She darted across the room, paused a moment for the door to open, then leapt across the threshold. A face full of sky blue promptly stopped her in her tracks, causing her to stumble back inside.

"Uh, Numbuh 5?" The door hissed open once again. There stood Hoagie, eyeing her with a raised brow. "You okay?"

Abby jumped up and stepped around him, looking up and down the hallway. "Did you see that?!"

"No, but I felt it."

"No, not you, the... ah, forget it!"

"You alright, Numbuh 5?"

Abby huffed, turning to him. "Yeah... Just takin' care of pent-up nerves from rehearsal. Did you need somethin'?"

"Actually, I was just coming to see if you want some hot cocoa. There's fresh mix in the kitchen, and I know how you like it."

The girl chuckled. "Abby would _love_ some hot cocoa right now."


	8. Days Of Cold

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8: DAYS OF COLD**

* * *

Normally, Mrs. Uno would wake Nigel up early enough for him to take his time getting dressed and eating breakfast before school. Because of this, he was used to waking up just before sunrise, when his window may as well have been painted black. The gradual rise of the sun on the horizon was a well-timed metaphor for starting the day.

But that didn't happen today. Nigel awoke on his own accord, and he could tell his room was already well lit without even opening his eyes.

Something was wrong.

His eyelids flew open, and he bolted upright. He studied every corner of the room. It was definitely his own room. Nothing seemed out of place, aside from the sunlight. It wasn't super bright—must have been cloudy out—but was enough to light up the entire room. How odd... It was definitely a week day, so why didn't his mom wake him up?

He crawled out from under his blanket, crept over to the door, and cracked it open. No signs of battle in the hallway. No lights, either. There was a voice, though... hold on, that was the man from the news! So either he was in danger from a home-invading anchorman, or his parents were downstairs watching TV. As strange as the situation was, he decided to go with the latter.

Still, the question remained: why didn't he go to school today? He wasn't sick. Even if he had fallen ill overnight, his mom wouldn't have known without waking him up. Must have been something else.

His gaze drifted to his window. The lighting was strange—the ceiling was as well-lit as the floor. Was someone shining a light into his room? From where he was standing, he could only see white. He stepped over to his nightstand, grabbing his sunglasses and slipping them on. And right then, he realized no one was aiming a spotlight at his window.

No... nothing was wrong. It was very, very _right_.

* * *

"HOAGIE! Hoagie, Hoagie, Hoagie!"

Hoagie groaned. Waking up to Tommy's obnoxious voice wasn't exactly the greatest to start the day.

"Hoagiiieee!"

"What?!" Hoagie grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Look!" Tommy said, pointing to the window.

Hoagie grumbled to himself as he threw his blanket off his legs and slid onto off the bed. He trudged past his brother, who was positively trembling, up to the nearest window. He stood there for a moment, his squinted eyes struggling to see past his reflection in the glass.

Then it clicked.

"Whoa!"

* * *

The moment Kuki's eyes opened, every trace of sleepiness fled her body. A smile spread across her face—it was going to be a great day to be awake, she just knew it! She had gotten plenty of sleep that night. More than she was expecting, in fact. As she looked at her alarm clock, which she apparently forgot to set, her expression changed to mirror her confusion. Why was it so late?

She looked around. It was dark, though not so much that she was blind, thanks to the light bleeding in from the edges of her drawn curtain. It was daytime for sure, but the light seemed brighter than usual. Maybe her eyes simply weren't adjust yet from, you know, having just woken up.

T'was curious indeed. Carefully, she lowered herself out of bed, and stepped over to the window. She threw the curtains open, and a gasp escaped her lips.

" _MUSHI!_ "

* * *

Wally was dead asleep.

* * *

Abby sprinted up to the main command console, buffering herself on with her hands on its edge rather than slowing down. Panting, cheeks rosy red, she took a moment to catch her breath. The climb up the treehouse steps was always a challenge—doing it at full speed with frozen lungs was considerably more taxing. But she hadn't sprinted there from her house for the mere sport of it!

"Numbuh 5's gotta... reach the others!" she panted, mashing away on the oversized keyboard. "Wonder if they... even noticed yet..."

Several hamsters scampered up to the girl, lead by Joaquin, who cocked his head to the side.

"Look outside!" Abby said, not breaking her concentration. The small furry gang squeaked amongst itself for a few seconds, then scurried over to the nearest window sill, where they all pressed their tiny faces against the glass. They all squealed, jumping back in unison. Joaquin yelped, let out a sort of laughing sound, and led a hasty retreat from the room.

"There!"

White noise blared as static filled the screen. The noise then ceased as the screen divided into four boxes. Nigel appeared in the top left corner, Hoagie in the top right, and Kuki in the bottom left, each already dressed to head out into the cold.

"Alright, team, Numbuh 5's guessin' y'all have already taken notice of the situation, but—wait, where's...?" She sighed. " _NUMBUH 4!_ "

Abby crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. A few seconds later, a groggy, bed-headed Wally appeared in the final box.

 _"WHAT?!"_

"Numbuh 4, _look outside!_ "

 _"Why?!"_

"Just _do it!_ "

Wally grumbled to himself as he stepped out of his frame, quickly fading out of earshot. Kuki hiccupped.

Hoagie glanced down at her frame. _"Bless you."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"I said—oh, that wasn't... nevermind. Still tired. Heh..."_

 _"Whoa! Guys! GUYS!"_ Wally slid back into view, hands held high above his head. _"EVERYTHING IS COVERED IN SNOW!"_

Abby rolled her eyes. "Naw duh, Sherlock! Now hurry up and get ready! We got lotsa work to do to make sure everybody scores maximum goofing off! This ain't playtime!"

 _"Omigosh, omigosh,"_ Kuki squealed. _"Our first snow day! I'm SO EXCITED!"_

 _"Me, too!"_ Hoagie agreed. _"I've been looking forward to this since... well, since last time!"_

 _"Let's just hope no crazy class presidents try to impede our fun this time,"_ Nigel said.

 _"Nah, if I know Eggbert, he's already out there making snow eggs!"_ Hoagie said, _"Make sure you're dressed warm enough, Numbuh 1, 'cause I don't think you're gonna get any more of that acid soup this ye—"_

He froze, mouth open and everything. Nigel's smile flashed, and his gaze fell to the floor. The rest of them swapped awkward glances, and Abby shook her head slowly. Hoagie shrugged.

 _"Alright!"_ Wally said, zipping up his orange winter coat. _"Let's do this!"_

Nigel looked up. _"Wow. That was fast."_

 _"Of course it was. Now are we gonna do this or wot?"_

Abby chuckled. "You know it. See y'all out there."

She disconnected from the chat, and turned to leave. By the door stood Joaquin and his posse from earlier, each now dressed in adorable little scarves, ski caps, ushankas, and the like.

Abby chuckled. "Y'all ready to go make some little snow hamsters?"

They cheered.

* * *

Rachel sat on the edge of the main control console on the Moonbase, a pile of papers on either side of her. She'd take one from her left, read it over, approve or deny it, and place it in the pile on her right. It was boring, plain and simple, but the simplicity was kind of calming. Or mind-numbing. One of the two. Besides, for entertainment, she got to listen to Trent and Fanny bicker back and forth. It was a relatively friendly exchange, but still pretty loud. It didn't help matters that Trent was purposely poking the bear at this point.

"Oh, Numbuh 86," he said, a loftiness in his voice. "You _say_ you don't like boys, yet when _he_ comes around... oh, aren't his eyes just... _dreamy?_ "

Trent, known by most as Numbuh 81, was an average height for his age, had pale white skin with messy, medium-length brown hair, blue eyes, and some natural lines under his eyes, which gave the appearance that he was always tired. He wore a navy blue hoodie with cyan rank stickers on the shoulders and sleeves reaching just short of his fingertips, and grey army-style pants bloused into black combat boots.

More to the point, he was also the Moonbase Chief of Security, and so was often was around the Supreme Leader, which in return meant he was often around Fanny. This, possibly coupled with his prior friendship with Rachel I mentioned in Chapter 2, seemed to have led the two to make a sort of truce. That wasn't to say there was never squabbling—obviously, as they were having at it at that very moment—but it never escalated into an actual fight. Rachel theorized that Fanny actually enjoyed it, but would sooner turn back into a monkey than tell her that.

"WHAT?!" Fanny screamed, eyes wide with horror. Rachel giggled, noting that most other boys would have been punched for saying such a thing to her. "What are yah goin' on about, boy?!"

Trent shrugged. "I mean, it's understandable that you don't notice yourself. Especially when your head is off on Cloud Nine."

"There are no clouds near the moon! And I hate clouds!"

"Oh, don't be so coy! What if he overheard and thought you were serious?"

"Gah, you are sooo _stupid!_ Who are you even talkin' about?!"

" _You_ know."

"But how would you...? Wait a minute, do _you_ even know?!"

"Know what?"

"Know who..." She trailed off. The grin on Trent's face could not have been smugger. "You... you're toyin' with me! You're just makin' all that up! Of course you don't know anything, that big head of yours is too full of... of _stupid!_ "

"Sooo there _is_ a boy?"

" _I'm about to wipe that grin off your face with my boot!_ "

A beeping from behind caught Rachel's attention. She slid off the console and onto her feet, turned around, and pressed a button to accept the incoming transmission. Nigel's head appeared on screen. He was in winter gear, and although he was holding his communicator too close for Rachel to see much of his surroundings, he seemed to be outside.

 _"Numbuh 362, sir!"_ he said, saluting.

"Numbuh 1," she replied with a grin. He seemed almost... giddy. Few thinks made Nigel Uno giddy.

 _"Have you looked outside?!"_

"Um... not really, no."

 _"Then look! Right now!"_

Rachel raised a brow, looking out at the Earth beyond the glass dome. "Wow. Numbuh 1, there's a whole lotta space. How'd that get there? I'll have to have a word with security."

"About what?" Trent asked from somewhere behind.

"Stop eavesdropping on the Supreme Leader's calls and hold still so I can hurt yah!"

Nigel facepalmed. _"D'oh! Moonbase, I should have guessed..."_

Rachel chuckled. "So what is it?"

 _"Here's a hint: it's really cold!"_

"I mean, space is pretty cold, if that's what you were going for."

 _"Snow! Everywhere! You should come join us!"_

"Gee, Numbuh 1, I'd really like to..." She glanced over at the two piles of paperwork. "I'm absolutely swamped right now. I'm sorry."

 _"Roger that. Tomorrow, then!"_

Rachel grinned. Even Nigel acted like an excitable kid when the first snow day of the year came around. It was cute. But more importantly, it was enough to take the boy's mind off of Lizzie.

"Well, it _has_ been a while since I've played in the snow," she said thoughtfully, crossing her arms. "I don't count visits to the Arctic Base—I never have any free time when I'm there anyway. Me and Taylor lo—uh, used to love sledding down this hill not too far from the house..." She paused, likely longer than she ought to have. "Okay, Numbuh 1. Tomorrow, then."

Nigel rendered another salute. _"Great! I'll bring the sled! See you then!"_

And with that, he was gone, replaced once again with the empty black. Rachel continued to stare, still smiling. She was going sledding tomorrow.

"Numbuh 362! Sir! Tell this _imbecile_ to gimme my boot back!"

"No. It's my trophy now."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **I'm aware that Fanny's apparently ambiguous accent is an oddly sore spot in this fandom. Unless Tom gets in touch with me and confirms it himself, I'm rolling with the majority in saying she's Irish, and I don't care enough to argue it with anyone. Cheers!**


	9. Come On, It's Lovely Weather

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN** ** _CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR_**

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 ** _A/N:_** **I'm about to go out of town for a week. So no updates till then.**

 **Thank you for making it this far!**

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 **CHAPTER 9: COME ON, IT'S LOVELY WEATHER...**

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The hill just north of the McKenzie residence was more like a small mountain, if you asked Nigel. It sat in the center of an old park, which was all but abandoned after several larger parks opened around it. From the summit, one could almost see past the surrounding woods, somewhere behind which the sunless grey sky meshed with the horizon. The dead trees wore sleeves of snow on their branches in place of leaves long gone. Though the woods weren't particularly dense—one could see houses from almost any spot at the base of the hill—they felt deceptively isolated. What better place to get together and talk with an old friend, eh?

Nigel chuckled, laying back on his wooden toboggan and staring up into the sunless sky. Being at the top of the hill, the grey abyss extended all the way through his peripheral vision. The simplicity quite calming. I originally had him thinking through things, hinting at his grief concerning Lizzie with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. But it was lame and killed the pace dead, so I'm just gonna move things along here.

"Hey, Nigel!"

Nigel sat up to find Rachel plodding toward him. He saw she was smiling, and smiled back without even having to think about it. It then occurred to him that this was the first time in a long while that he had seen her in normal clothes.

"How's it going, Rachel?" he asked, standing to his feet.

She shrugged, still smiling. "Eh. Taylor was home, so I'm glad I had an excuse to get out of the house."

"Hm. You want to be in the front or back?" Nigel dropped the toboggan onto the ground facing the slope, and looked up at her for her answer.

"Um... I'll steer this time. Why not."

"Steer? It's a toboggan. You don't really _steer_ it..."

Rachel plopped down on the sled and smirked at him over her shoulder as she took hold of the reigns. "I know, Nigel. It was a joke."

"Oh. Of course, I knew that."

Nigel placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pushed until the toboggan was moving on its own, then leapt on. "So you still aren't talking to your sister, then?" He asked, grasping her shoulders as they descended.

"We're talking. Just... not very much."

"Still mad about her wanting to spend Christmas with her friends?"

Rachel watched a tree as it sped by, though turned her head forward again before she could make eye contact. He wasn't getting a response.

"So what's wrong with wanting to spend Christmas with her friends? Isn't that what you're doing?"

 _Now_ Rachel glared back at him. "What are you saying?! It's not the same! I have nothing else to do Christmas day because of her! And Harvey! I know you only invited me over because you felt bad, and—"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on! You know that's not true! The only reason we might not have invited you was because you're usually busy with family on Christmas. I'm sorry about your family being elsewhere for it, but I really am happy that you're gonna be with us this year! We're all looking forward to you being there! Come on, you know I'm not lying."

"I... I know. I'm sorry, Nigel, I-I didn't mean to—"

"I understand. But you still didn't answer my question."

Rachel took a deep breath, and then exhaled, leaving a long stream of steam in the air behind her. "She's ditching me. She's ditching me when she's _fully aware_ that she's ruining my holiday! And Harvey, too! He's avoiding us both until we get things worked out—but she's been with her friends, so she hasn't even tried. She knows she's leaving me at home, all alone, for what's _supposed_ to be the happiest time of the year!"

Nigel pondered her words as they neared the bottom of the hill. They slowly decelerated until they came to a halt. Neither one moved for a moment. Rachel stared down at her feet, and Nigel at a nearby tree.

"Well," he said as stood to his feet. "That's not entirely true."

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking up at him.

"For one," he said, extending his hand for her to take, "you're not all alone. I know it's not the same, but you're still spending Christmas with family this year."

She pondered his statement for a moment, before smirking and accepting his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. The boy held onto her hand for a few seconds longer than necessary, staring into her eyes to emphasize his seriousness. Which took skill to do through sunglasses. She stole another glance at her feet, momentarily losing her smile. But when it came back, it came back stronger than before.

Nigel released her hand, taking hold of the toboggan's reigns with the other and beginning the trek back to the top of the hill. "But, Rachel, have you actually thought about your sister?"

She jogged the first few steps to stay by his side. "Of course I have. It's forgetting about her that's the trick."

"I mean, she's spending Christmas without her parents, too. Maybe she's having a hard time with it. Harder than you, even."

"What? That's... it's not that I think she's totally happy about mom and dad being out of town for Christmas, either. Though... maybe I didn't think about that. But that doesn't explain her just leaving me in the dust like this!"

"I've met Taylor a few times. I don't think she's purposely trying to hurt you."

"Come on, she knows me better than anyone! Instead of talking to me first, she called some other teenager! How could she be so selfish?"

"Is she being selfish? For trying to find a way to deal with her parents being gone for Christmas?" Nigel knew he was going out on a limb with this line of thinking, but surely she knew where she was coming from.

"Yes! Because she's not the only one dealing with it! I am, too!"

"That's true. You're not the only one."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "I know I'm not. What are you getting at?"

"Is she selfish for trying to get herself through the holiday?"

"Yes, because she needs to think about me!" Her mouth hung open. Several seconds passed. When she spoke again, her voice was almost a whisper. "Because she always has..." She looked away from him. "I don't want to spend this Christmas without my sister..."

Nigel kept his gaze fixed forward. "Do you really think she's being a villain here? Don't you think she deserves to take care of herself this time?"

"She always has. She's always taken care of us both."

"She's only human, Rachel. And people change. Even you. Maybe she thinks you're old enough to take care of yourself now."

Rachel sniffed. She knew Taylor was only human, of course. But at the same time, she'd never let that stop her from being awesome before. And she hadn't always been there for Rachel because she thought she was too little to handle things, and she? No, that wasn't the reason. So what changed? _Why_ had she changed? It just didn't make sense.

"You're just guessing. You haven't talked to her. You don't know that she's changed. You couldn't possibly know why she's being like this."

"That's all true. There's only one person who can tell you for certain."

"The Easter Bunny?"

"Taylor."

"Oh..."

They reached the top of the hill. Nigel aimed the sled down a clear path down a different slope, then plopped down, in the front this time.

"I guess... I'm guessing, too. I'm gonna have to talk to her about it, huh?"

Nigel turned to look at her. She was staring off in some random direction again. "Yes," he answered, standing up. He stepped over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She met his gaze, and a narrow smile cracked her lips.

"Thanks, Nigel. I'm sorry, the whole thing is ridiculous, and I'm be ridiculous."

"Just try to sort things out. Don't worry about placing blame."

"I mean, it's all on her," Rachel mumbled. Realizing he heard her, she quickly added, "I'll talk to her! I guess if there was ever something I wanted to be wrong about, it's this."

Nigel smirked. "It's still the happiest time of year. So I don't want to see you not being happy anymore, alright?"

"You cheer up yourself," she countered, turning to face him. "I know what's on your mind. And I'm not okay with it bringing you down."

Nigel frowned. "I don't know what you want from me. There's not much to say."

"Then sit down and say it," she said, smirking and motioning to the toboggan. He returned the smirk and sat down on the sled. Rachel pushed on his back to get them started, and held onto his shoulders as she plopped down behind him.

"I really don't know what you want me to say."

"Then say it all."

He sighed. "It's pretty simple. She's fed up with me always being busy with the Kids Next Door. When I missed that last date because of the treehouse getting attacked by teens, she said she'd had it. She told me to quit, or else she'd quit on me."

"Nigel... I'm sorry... But what you do is extremely important! Any girl would be lucky to get to be your girlfriend. If Lizzie can't get over herself and understand that, then she's not worth your time!"

"But that's the thing: she _doesn't know_ what I do! Not really. She thinks I'm always off just playing in a sandbox somewhere, or something. She doesn't believe that we're trying to keep the world a free place for kids."

"I think she knows more than you think. She just doesn't like you being away with the Kids Next Door because she only thinks about herself."

Nigel went silent for a moment, likely to prepare a defense. "You know what? I'm tired of this."

Rachel's heart sank. "Tired of what?"

"I'm more than willing to defend her from bullies or Ice Cream Men or some villain, but I'm tired of fighting against my friends for her. My friends, who are always on my side against everything else."

"Nigel, I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"Maybe I am on the wrong side here."

Rachel shut her mouth. That hadn't gone the direction she expected it to.

"I like her. She used to be so kind. We always had fun when we were together."

They began to slow down as they reached the bottom of the hill. Once they had come to a stop, Nigel stood up and took a few steps away from the sled. Rachel got to her feet as well, but didn't follow, just looked after him with a frown.

"But then, she stopped being so kind. Even before she tried to control my brain. Things were the best when I first asked her out. I guess she expected me to quit the Kids Next Door to spend more time with her. When she realized that wasn't going to happen... well, she wasn't happy about that. She even accepted a job from the Delightful Children From Down The Lane... but then she saved us from them... _but_ then she almost got herself killed when she got jealous of my hanging out with my _cousin!_ "

Rachel rubbed the back of her neck as Nigel fell silent, both standing as still as the woods around them. This lasted for a good minute, before he turned and looked at Rachel.

"I've been really stupid, haven't I?"

"What? No! Nigel, no."

"It's okay, Rachel. I see it now."

Rachel just stared at him. He did seem to finally realize that Lizzie was a no good scoundrel, but he wasn't supposed to feel bad about it. This was supposed to be a happy revelation, darnit!

"I... I'll be alright," he said firmly. He mustered up a smile, and Rachel did the same. She knew he wasn't magically over it just like that, but he was facing it. In fact, it was inspiring; if Nigel was going to soldier through his struggles, then maybe she really could do the same with hers. Wait, of course she could! She was Numbuh 362, Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door! Why had such a trivial matter bothered her for so long? It all suddenly seemed so... well, childish.

"I know you'll be fine," she said. "You always are. That's part of what makes you you, soldier."

Nigel's smile widened slightly, no longer seeming forced. "I think I should go," he said. "The sooner I take care of this, the better." He walked over to the sled, picked it up, and turned to her. "Thank you, Rachel."

"For what?"

"For being you. I hope you get things straightened out with Taylor soon."

"Yeah... me too."

They heard talking, and looked over to see a short boy pulling his own toboggan their way. On the toboggan sat a large, stuffed tiger doll. "Hey, guys!" He greeted excitedly as he passed.

"Hello," they greeted in unison.

"Of course," Nigel said, grabbing her attention one last time. "Even if you do get things fixed up, you're still invited over to my house before everyone meets for our gift exchange. Even if only for a minute."

Rachel stepped forward and hugged him. "Thank you. Whatever happens, I'll be there."

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Rachel leaned back on the front door to push it shut against the wind. The warm temperature inside the house felt wonderful against her face. It only took her a couple of minutes to get home, but the wind had picked up before she even made it out of the woods. Hopefully Nigel would make it home quickly, lest he got another cold like he had the previous year.

She removed her gloves, shed her jacket, and slipped off her wet furry boots. She shivered as she made her way over to the stairs. Kind of funny, how she hadn't realized just how cold she was until she got inside. She climbed up the stairs, and walked halfway down the hallway, stopping in front of Taylor's room. The door was shut, but she could hear music on the other side. Her sister was in there.

"Alright, Rachel," She muttered, barely audible over the music. "Just knock, and get this mess straightened out. No more being in the dark."

She stared at the door. She knew she needed to go in and settle things with her sister. But the movement wasn't happening.

"No more imagining the worst."

What was wrong with her? She's Numbuh 362, Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door! Master spy! Expert combatant! No teenager could stand to match her!

"No way she's really that bad. She'll prove it."

This was the moment she'd spent the last five minutes psyching herself up for. It was time for action!

"Come on. Just do it."

A minute passed.

She sighed, and turned to shuffle to her room.

Numbuh 362, Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door... was scared of being wrong.


End file.
